Kids: Another Kind of Demon
by SerpentPoison
Summary: Ten years before InuYasha is released from the sacred tree,Sesshomaru is stuck with a half-breed brat.When she leaves years later and joins InuYasha's group,Sesshomaru realizes how much he was attached to her. And then there's always the unexpected.HIATUS
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: YAY! First InuYasha story I've published anywhere in a long time! I'm a little rusty, but I will graciously accept critiques and praise. Hope you enjoy the first installment of 'Kids: Another Kind of Demon'. I know its short, but my prologues tend to be. Upcoming chapters will vary in length, but will normally be longer than this opening bit.**

**Disclaimer: Books, dvds, posters, and plushies I own, yet the rights and characters of InuYasha I do not. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

Prologue

"What is it m'lord?" the green imp asked cautiously when his master paused.

"A human, on its dying breath," the dog demon said coldly before continuing down the trail.

Jaken sighed and followed Sesshomaru deeper into the ancient forest.

"You, demon!"

Sesshomaru turned to his right, immediately sighting a young miko in the standard red and white clothing. The woman was leaning against a large tree and breathing heavily. Nearby was a broken bow and snapped arrows along with a trail of crimson blood. In her arms was a bundle wrapped in black cloth.

"Please. Take my baby and protect her. I beg of you," the miko said, falling to one knee.

"M'lord, surely you're not going-"

"I will not help your foul child," Sesshomaru said coldly as he turned away.

"WAIT! Please! She's part demon and she's being hunted by him. Take her please," the miko continued to beg.

The short silence between the two was broken by shouts coming from the distance.

"Priestess Fukayna! We know you came this way with that demon child!"

The miko flinched and pressed, "Please."

"What's its name?" Sesshomaru growled, taking the child from the priestess into his arms.

Fukayna smiled with relief and whispered, "Her name…is…Salem."

Sesshomaru's frown deepened as the woman died.

"What a strange name," Jaken muttered, holding his hands out to take the child from the dog demon intending to throw her in the next river.

"We will keep her."

"M'lord, please reconsider. Remember InuYasha! He got mixed up with a human miko and look how he turned out: pinned to a tree by his priestess lover for almost forty years now," Jaken begged.

"How InuYasha goes about does not concern me. This child is not a dog demon, but she is not some lowly demon that I will throw out. She will be useful even though she is part human," Sesshomaru said coldly, now holding the girl by the scruff of her neck.

The dog lord gave the child an appraising look. She had a full head of thick black hair and silver eyes that glowed in understanding. Her ears were pointed similarly like Sesshomaru's and her claws looked sharp to the dog demon's observing eyes. The girl was clad in a simply black kimono with pink cherry blossoms sprinkled at the bottom and a light pink obi. Her hair was pulled back with a matching pink ribbon.

"How old is the child then?" Jaken asked with a sigh.

Sesshomaru sniffed the girl then said, "She is seven."

Jaken mentally shook his head. The dog lord surprised him every day with new abilities. He couldn't even name another soul that could tell the age of a pup by a simple smell. In fact, all Jaken could get from her scent was that she was definitely half wolf demon.

The girl gurgled happily and stretched her arms out in an attempt to grab Sesshomaru's silvery hair. Stern golden eyes met childish silver ones. Immediately picking up on the warning in those golden eyes, the girl dropped her hand in obedience.

"Sworry," the girl muttered with her head down.

"Good. You will walk," Sesshomaru said, dropping the girl from his hand.

The child landed on her feet gracefully and beamed up at the pale man, expecting praise.

Sesshomaru said nothing, but continued his journey forward. He didn't look back to see the girl's eyes well up in tears. Nor did he see her bite her lip fiercely to keep said tears from falling.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken screeched, running after the dog demon.

"Sesmaru!" the girl squealed upon learning her savior's name, though she stumbled over the pronunciation.

The girl took off after them, not even looking back at the body of her deceased mother.

She did not understand why her mother did not move, but it troubled her as she walked behind Sesshomaru.

"Hello child. My name is Jaken. What are you thinking about Salem?" Jaken asked in an attempt of kindness.

"Why doesn't mother come with us? Why doesn't she move?" Salem asked curiously, her silver eyes gleaming from under black bangs.

Jaken tripped. He scrambled to his feet and stuttered over an explanation that only confused the girl more.

She tilted her head in confusion and glanced at Sesshomaru for a translation.

"Sesmaru?"

"Your mother is dead half-breed. She isn't coming back."

The girl fell silent, pondering Sesshomaru's response.

Finally she turned to Jaken with one question on her mind.

"Jaken, what is half-breed?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: Thanks to M-san for helping with the title! Please give feedback! I'm curious as to how this story is going to be reviewed.**


	2. Explosive

**Author's Notes: Cheers for the next installment of 'Kids: Another Kind of Demon'!! Thanks for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your alert list! Well, on with the chappie huh?**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own InuYasha, no matter how much I wish I did...**

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Chapter 01- Explosive

"No."

"Come on!"

"I said no."

The seventeen year old glared up at her father. His golden eyes left no room for discussion, but Salem refused to back down.

"If I was a boy you would let me! Why did you even keep me alive? You sure don't want me! I don't think you even know my name! It's always half-breed! Or maybe if you're in a good mood, you'll call me girl. What is my name father?"

He just watched her coldly.

"Sesshomaru! What's my name?!"

His silence was starting to piss her off. She turned on her heel and left her father's study. No, he wasn't her real father…what was she thinking…he never loved her. There was nothing that she could do to change him.

Salem sighed sadly and looked around her room. She grabbed her favorite pack, a black bag with a single, thin shoulder strap. It had a howling wolf and a larger howling dog stitched onto the front of it in silver silhouettes. The two canines were howling together. She quickly scrawled out a messy note to Sesshomaru and left it on her bed before jumping out her window and darting into the forest. She was gone.

* * *

_Father,_

_Well, now you have you wish. I'm out of here, for good. I doubt you'll miss me. Maybe you can find someone who you will accept and love as your own child. Hopefully they will love you back. You need it. I know you won't change and I know you won't come after me. It's better that way. _

_Best of luck to you and all my love,  
__Half-Breed_

* * *

It had been a good three months since Salem left her father and the only home she had ever known. Just as she figured, Sesshomaru didn't come after her.

"InuYasha! SIT BOY!" a shrill voice reached Salem's delicate ears, causing her to flinch in pain.

Salem jumped up in the tree closest to her and watched a group of travelers pass below her. She counted the group in her head: there were two demons, three humans, and a half demon. Salem mentally slapped herself when the half demon turned his nose toward her. He was a half DOG demon…he could smell her. She would just have to cross her fingers and hope against the odds that the boy wouldn't be paying attention.

"Hey InuYasha!" the strangely clad girl started.

"Huh, that name sounds familiar," Salem muttered softly.

"What?"

"I think that there is someone in that tree! They have a powerful spiritual aura."

Salem sighed; she was caught, and by a human no less. She dropped to the ground gracefully and straightened up. What was the point of hiding if they would just search for her anyway?

"Didn't think the dog would catch me, let alone a human girl," Salem said to the girl.

The girl was dressed oddly, but that was not what caught Salem's attention. This human had a huge outpouring of aura similar to that of a miko's.

"Who are you?" the demon slayer asked, interrupting Salem's thoughts. The demon slayer gripped her weapon subconsciously.

"Just a lone traveler. My name is Salem. And you are?"

After the group went around and introduced themselves, Kagome asked, "Salem, I have a question for you. Are you a priestess? You have a miko's aura, but it seems warped."

"She's a half-demon, of course her aura is warped. She's not a miko," InuYasha argued.

"She has a miko's aura InuYasha!" Kagome snapped.

"It's a demon aura! She's half wolf demon Kagome!"

"Actually…" Salem started.

"Don't even try," Miroku warned.

Salem's eye twitched as she watched the argument escalate. Finally, she took a deep breath a flared out her aura, causing the two to cease their quarrel.

"As I was saying," Salem said smoothly, "My biological father was a wolf demon, my mother was a priestess. So you are both right."

The two exchanged sheepish looks and returned their attention to the conversation Sango had struck up with their odd intruder.

"So you're just out here alone?"

Salem nodded with a shrug, "It doesn't really bother me."

"Oh, now it does not do for a fair young woman such as yourself to be wandering alone in the woods at this time. I have a suggestion," Miroku stated, grabbing her hand in his, "Please bear my children."

Before Sango could get to him, the poor monk went flying into the nearest tree. The group's stares went from Miroku to an irritated wolf demon that was cracking her knuckles.

"Where are your parents Salem?" Kagome asked in an attempt to move the conversation away from the dazed monk.

"My real dad disappeared before I was born and my mother died when I was six. I use to live with my adoptive father I guess you could call him," Salem said.

She casted a glance at InuYasha, but it was so quick that he believed he just imagined it.

"Why are you alone?" Sango asked in concern.

"It was time for me to…ah, get away," Salem explained vaguely.

Sango nodded and replied, "Well, you are welcome to come along with us until you want to go back to your father."

"I really don't want to intrude," Salem declined.

"It's not a problem! Right InuYasha?" Kagome said cheerfully.

"Hmph."

"Doggy really doesn't want me here," Salem said with a shrug, "I'll be fine by myself."

"Really, it's ok," Sango said.

"InuYasha's opinion doesn't matter anyway," Shippo added.

Thirty seconds later left Shippo nursing a bump on the head, InuYasha eating a mouthful of dirt, and Salem holding back laughter.

The group smiled at her encouragingly. Well, except for InuYasha who was glaring up at her from his hole in the ground.

"I suppose it won't do any harm for a month or so…" Salem finally agreed.

"Excellent!" Kagome said, clapping her hands together, "We were just about to set up camp for the night!"

* * *

How she got herself into these things, she would never know. Salem groaned as she stooped to pick up another piece of firewood all while keeping an eye on Shippo who was 'helping' her. He was sweet, but he really couldn't tell which pieces of bark were ideal for burning.

"No Shippo, they can't be wet. You're going to have to dig under the brush for some dry twigs since it rained the other day."

Shippo nodded enthusiastically and ran off in an attempt to help her.

Salem made sure he was range for her to still be able to hear and smell danger if it came upon him before she went back to the task at hand.

"I hate this job," Salem muttered, adding a few colorful words after she got a large splinter from a rather large piece of firewood.

She yanked the offending splinter out of her hand irritably and growled. Salem paused momentarily and sniffed the air cautiously. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she tried to decipher the scent. Surely HE wouldn't come after her with others nearby.

Salem took off in the direction Shippo disappeared towards. She just hoped she could defeat HIM without the help of her father. Otherwise…

* * *

**Author's Notes: Oh the drama! What's going to happen to Salem and who is HE? Find out next time on 'Kids: Another Kind of Demon'! Sorry, couldn't resist! Please don't forget to review! It'd be AWESOME! **


	3. Danger Zone

**Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long! I have exams this week, so I'm pretty surprised I was able to finish this chappie. I know its short, but its where I needed to stop for the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own InuYasha...**

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Chapter 02- Danger Zone

"Well, well, I thought you would come when you smelled me. That's the only thing you're good at…sniffing people out, you mangy dog."

Salem snarled at the pale man. He was a little shorter than Sesshomaru and had eyes the color of coal. His long blood colored hair was tied into its usual ponytail. The man held Shippo by his tail with an amused smirk on his face.

"Let Shippo go!" Salem growled.

"I don't think I heard the magic word my dear Salem," the man said in a sing-song voice.

"Let him go or I'll rip your throat out!"

"Tut tut, such manners. I don't think your daddy will approve."

"My father can go to hell."

"Don't be silly Salem," the man's whole demeanor changed as he continued, "Because without him, you have no chance of defeating me."

"I'm stronger then you think I am."

The man laughed, losing his blood-thirsty aura, "I doubt that little Salem."

Before Salem could snap back, the man went on, "Your mother, Fukayna, should have never given you up. Even though your real father, Damien, left, she should have given you to me. But your mother thought she was being smart by running. I hated to do it, but I guess I turned her villagers on her. I injured her and they did the rest. However, before they could catch her, she managed to find that bastard walking through the woods and even managed to convince the heartless bastard to take her baby…you. If I could've just been seconds sooner with the villagers, you would have never fallen into the hands of Ses-"

"SHUT UP KAFELE!"

The man smirked in understanding, "You haven't told them who your adoptive father is? Oh this is too rich!"

Salem visibly twitched.

Kafele frowned and said, "It seems your traveling companions are here. No matter. I would never be able to control you in this state anyway."

He tightened his free hand into a fist above him like he was grasping something from the air. Kafele then uncurled his fingers to reveal a silvery dust and blew it towards Salem's direction before she could react. The dust afflicted her sensitive nose as it settled onto her clothing.

"There, that should do it," Kafele smirked again.

"What the hell did you do?!" Salem growled.

"All in good time little Salem…all in good time."

With that he disappeared, dropping Shippo very unceremoniously to the ground.

"You ok Shippo?" Salem asked, swaying a little as she walked over to him and gathered the kitsune in her arms protectively.

Shippo nodded solemnly and replied, "Are you ok Salem? You don't look to good."

Salem blinked in an attempt to clear her blurring vision and reluctantly answered, "I don't know."

"I'll go get Kagome and the others! Stay right here!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping out of her arms and bounding away towards the direction of the camp.

"Be careful-" she started only to crumple to the ground in an unconscious heap.

* * *

"Poor Salem," Kagome muttered as she soaked a rag and placed it on Salem's forehead to cool her raging fever.

"Oi brat! You're sure you didn't catch a scent of this Kafele?" InuYasha growled at Shippo.

Shippo shook his head sadly, "He didn't smell like anything, except for ash and smoke. He definitely didn't his own scent."

"Is that even possible?" Miroku asked as he heated some water over a fire.

"I…don't know," InuYasha muttered, "I'm not that old ya know. I don't know a lot about the different types of demons. There's only one person I know that might and he's pretty young for a demon too. AND I REFUSE TO ASK HIM!"

Sango, Miroku, and Kagome exchanged exasperate looks.

"It's Sesshomaru isn't it?" Kagome asked.

InuYasha nodded sullenly.

"Well if he's the only person who can help Salem then I don't think we have a choice," Sango deducted.

"Don't want…that…asshole's help," Salem groaned before slipping back into unconsciousness.

"What does that mean?" Sango asked.

The others shrugged, except for Shippo, who yawned.

"We'll go to sleep and then take Salem to Sesshomaru in the morning. InuYasha, since you don't look like you're going to sleep any time soon, do you think you could watch Salem while we sleep?" Kagome asked.

InuYasha thought about disagreeing, but decided that it wouldn't be wise to piss Kagome off when she was tired, "Sure Kagome."

* * *

No no no! Kagome was going to kill him! He dozed off for five minutes and when he woke up, Salem was gone! She left her kimono, but he assumed that she wore battle garb underneath it anyway. Maybe her fever had caused her to remove the kimono and seek out a river? But then what if she drowned in the river?! This was very bad.

"Damn it," InuYasha muttered, sniffing the air around the camp.

The only place he could get a scent was from her kimono and it was throwing his tracking off. If he couldn't find the feverish half-demon soon…

A rustle from the kimono pulled InuYasha out of his thoughts, causing him to whirl around and sniff cautiously.

"Who's there?" InuYasha snapped sharply as he approached the kimono, thinking that a lower demon was hiding behind it.

His harsh tone incited a whimper.

"Come out!"

A little girl with long, thick black hair and silver eyes stepped wriggled around and poked her head out of the too-big kimono. Her ears were pointed delicately and her skin practically glowed in the light of the full moon.

InuYasha gaped at her, "Salem?"

The little girl's expression brightened when she saw InuYasha. She stood up, holding the kimono around herself, and waddled awkwardly over to InuYasha.

She beamed up at him in pure happiness and asked, "Sesmaru?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: ta da! Hope you enjoyed. Please review! I would really appreciate it.**


	4. Calm

Chapter 03- Calm

Kagome massaged her temple to prevent a persistent migraine before repeating, "So, you fell asleep for a few minutes to wake up and discover that Salem was a toddler?"

InuYasha nodded, irritably using his foot to keep said toddler from hugging him.

Kagome sighed and said, "Now we really need to find Sesshomaru."

"He's at his castle. It's about the time when he returns there for about a month. If he isn't there yet, he will be," InuYasha said.

"How do you…oh never mind. You won't tell us. First, we need to get Salem something else to wear. She can't go around in an oversized kimono," Kagome said busily as she rolled up her sleeping bag.

"Why does it matter? She should only be like that for a few hours," InuYasha protested.

"You don't know that. What if Sesshomaru won't help us? Or what if he doesn't know?!" Kagome snapped.

Upon hearing her savior's name, Salem piped up with a hopeful look at InuYasha, "Sesmaru?"

"No brat! I'm InuYasha!"

Salem tilted her head and sniffed InuYasha before attempting his name, "InuYasa?"

"Close enough," InuYasha muttered before making an attempt to grab the toddler.

Salem evaded his grasp gracefully and said, "I walk. Like Sesmaru taught!"

"Are you sure she's talking about Sesshomaru? That doesn't sound like him at all," Kagome whispered to InuYasha.

"I don't know," InuYasha muttered.

"You three clean up the camp while Kagome and I take Salem to get a kimono that actually fits," Sango said, shouldering her weapon and starting towards the nearby village.

As they entered the market square, Sango knelt down in front of Salem and gave her an assuring smile.

"Now Salem, you need to understand this. Don't tuck your hair behind your ears ok? Because you're a demon in a human village without the influence of someone like Sesshomaru, you could be hurt. Don't show off and don't attack anything. Do you understand?"

Salem nodded confidently.

They wandered through the village market for about half an hour before the two older girls were starting to get irritated.

"Salem, do you see a kimono you like? You can have whichever one you choose," Sango said kindly.

Salem looked around the small market, silver eyes flickering in every direction. A flash of red caught her child-like attention, causing her to walk over to it. She pulled a blood colored kimono from the mess of clothing and held it up to the light.

It was a beautifully made kimono, cut from cloth a slightly darker shade than InuYasha's robe of the firerat. It was accented with gold and black, with flowing sleeves.

"That's a very regal choice for a child," Kagome whispered to Sango, "Do you think that she still has some of her adult consciousness?"

"I don't think so. Look at the way she walked over to the kimono. She looked excited yet she did not run or skip. Yet the teenage Salem that we knew could not contain her emotions in such a way. It must be how she was raised as a child, which makes sense if it really was Sesshomaru that she keeps talking about. And, like a teenager, she changed. After all, she's definitely a teenager in demon years, probably just came of age before all this happened," Sango observed as Salem returned to them, holding her chosen garment carefully.

"Is that the one you want Salem?" Sango asked, extracting some money from a pocket inside her kimono.

"Yes Sango-sama," Salem said solemnly, though her eyes shined with happiness, "I will pay you back."

"Oh Salem, you don't have to do that. InuYasha really gave me the money to buy it for you anyway. Don't go telling anyone though, ok?!"

Salem looked confused, causing Sango to giggle and say, "Don't worry about it, ok Salem?"

Sango paid for the kimono while Salem quickly slipped into the new, fitted kimono. She handed the larger kimono to Sango's offering hand.

"Tank you," Salem grinned.

"Not at all, you wouldn't be able to carry it without it dragging through the dirt anyway," Sango replied, gathering the kimono in her arms.

"Are you two coming?" Kagome yelled from up the road, already heading back to the campsite.

"We're coming Kagome!" Sango yelled up the road.

Only Salem heard the whispers behind them from the villagers, which caused the toddler a little worry though she ignored it.

"_Did you see that? A pair of human girls with a demon brat!"_

"_No! How awful!"_

"_Maybe it was a half-demon?"_

"_Good thinking dear, it must've been!"_

"_That demon brat is wearing one of my best children kimonos! If I only knew that the human wench was going to buy it for a demon I would not have sold it to her!"_

"_Then go get it back."_

"_Maybe I will!"_

"HEY WOMAN!"

Sango and Salem turned to see an angry storekeeper waving at them. His other hand was clutch tightly at his side, but Sango did not think much about it.

"Can I help you?" Sango asked.

Before Sango could react, the shopkeeper threw a rock and hit Salem square on the head. A cross between a whimper and a growl emitted from Salem's throat. She barred her sharp fangs at the offending man.

"That dangerous demon does not deserve such a fine kimono!"

"It's your fault for agitating her! She's a child and you just hit her!" Sango yelled.

"That HALF-BREED doesn't deserve to live!"

Salem growled and made a move to go after the storekeeper. Sango attempted to grab her, but she eluded her grasp. A blur of red and white streaked in and grabbed Salem by the scruff of her kimono, holding her up off the ground.

"Let me down InuYasa!" Salem demanded, making an attempt to hide her tear-stained face.

"That idiot doesn't know what he's talking about Salem. We're leaving. Come on Sango," InuYasha growled.

* * *

"Do you like your new kimono Salem?" Miroku asked as they walked down the trail.

Behind them, InuYasha and Kagome were whispering to each other angrily. Sango, Kirara, and Shippo were behind the two.

"I just don't understand why we couldn't ride on Kirara to get there," Kagome complained.

"Yeah, well I don't understand why you left Sango and Salem alone in a hostile village!"

Miroku looked over his shoulder and caught Sango's eye. Their exchange of looks did not go unnoticed by the young toddler.

InuYasha froze suddenly, eyes flickering around, almost calculating. Shippo had to put on the brakes to keep from slamming into the hanyou and avoid angering him.

"What is it InuYasha?" Miroku asked.

"We're about to enter Sesshomaru's territory."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Thanks for reading and sorry it took so long to get this out. I'm really trying to get it out as fast as possible. I'm at a dead standstill on the Voice and Mirror is moving VERY slowly. I'm getting them out though, slowly but surely! Watch for the next installment of Kids: Another Kind of Demon!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, any of the characters (except for Salem), or any of the locations. This is for entertainment purposes only and there is no money made.**


	5. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**A/N: Hello Loyal Readers! I know it has been QUITE some time since I have updated this story and I DEEPLY apologize :( I just recently read the reviews for Kids: Another Kind of Demon and I have officially decided! At first I was just going to delete this story and say screw it. BUT! Thanks to my lovely reviewers, I shall be rewriting it! I'll leave this version up for now until I start posting the new and improved story. See you in the next story and thanks for sticking with me :)**

**Much Much Love,**

**3 Serpent 3**


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